Skip to main content

If your PC is running slowly, the latest Windows 11 update may be to blame

Microsoft may have a problem on its hands — the latest Windows 11 update doesn’t seem to be working as intended. According to various user reports, the update drastically slows SSD speeds, in some cases even cutting them in half.

If you’ve noticed that your PC is loading slowly or programs aren’t running as quickly as you’d hoped, you might be affected by this problem. Here’s how to fix it.

A laptop running Windows 11.
Microsoft

The Windows 11 update was released on March 14 and announced on the dedicated Reddit community by a Microsoft employee. This is where the first user complaints started flooding in, with various reports of poor performance after installing the latest patch. The problem doesn’t affect every single PC, though — it seems that computers running an SSD are the ones that are affected.

Recommended Videos

Poor performance can be explained in any number of ways, but the users are seeing drops specifically in SSD speeds, and all of this seems to have started only once they’ve installed the update. The drops are huge, and even the best NVMe SSDs can’t seem to keep up after the latest patch. In fact, the better the SSD the worse the problem appears to be, because computers with slower SATA SSDs currently seem to be doing fine — for the most part.

“Tanked my SSD NVMe reading and writing speeds, like A LOT. Went from 7,000 to 3,000, sometimes 1,000 using the balance energy profile in my Legion 5 2021,” said mesp21 on Reddit.

A drop that huge is difficult to overlook. Seeing as Windows is likely to be installed on an SSD (where applicable), this can result in drastically slower boot times — something that SSDs are meant to prevent. The whole point of buying an SSD is to experience those lightning-fast loading times. If you don’t mind your PC running slowly, you could just as well get a cheaper HDD.

Other users also reported slow game loading times and stuttering, so it’s not just Windows 11 that may be affected by this. One user even reports having Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) problems, which is an error screen that pops up when Windows encountered a fatal error and needs to restart.

How to fix the problem

Windows 11 version 22h2 update.
Digital Trends

Microsoft doesn’t seem to have acknowledged the problem yet — it’s not listed on the official Known Issues page. It’s almost certain that it will be fixed if the update really is to blame, but until then, the only fix is to uninstall the latest patch and hold off on installing it again until it’s proven to work well.

Uninstalling the update is easy. Type in Windows Update Settings into the search bar, then click on View Update History. Click on the latest update you’ve installed (KB5023706) and uninstall it. This is more of a bandaid than a permanent solution, but it should help until Microsoft comes out with an official fix.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
I hope Microsoft adds these 6 things to the next major Windows Update
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

Windows 11 updates have a bit of a reputation, from slowing Intel's newest desktop processors to breaking games. Despite the occasional hiccup, we still look forward with cautious optimism.

Despite the occasional rough patch, Microsoft continues to evolve the OS, and each update feels like a chance for a new beginning. While Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything yet, the rumor mill is buzzing with what comes next, and I'm starting to feel excited. The talk of new features suggests fixes for long-standing annoyances, productivity boosts, and quality-of-life improvements worth waiting for.
What's coming to Windows in 2025?

Read more
Microsoft could make account-free Windows 11 installs a thing of the past
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

The offline Windows 11 install looks like it could officially be a thing of the past. 

Microsoft is officially shutting the door on local accounts during Windows 11 setup, confirming that all new installations, Home and Pro alike, will now require a Microsoft account. 

Read more
Microsoft is working on something new, but it’s probably not Windows 12
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft appears to be working on a new major update, but if you're hoping for Windows 12, I wouldn't hold my breath. The company has confirmed that it's testing new content via the Insider program in the Dev Channel, and those changes might lead to a patch that's set to be released later this year. However, we're most likely looking at the successor to the current 24H2 build -- namely Windows 11 25H2 -- and not a whole new operating system.

This was first spotted by Windows Central. The publication cites its own sources as it claims that Microsoft is backporting some platform changes to offer better support for Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X2 chip. Those changes will allow devices that house that chip to run Germanium-based Windows 11. Germanium refers to the platform release that the current Windows 11 build is built on, and it looks like the upcoming 25H2 build might also be based on Germanium -- but nothing is fully clear at this point.

Read more